Pearl of the Orient Seas
by AliceMitch09
Summary: Philippine's life as she struggles being a nation. She will have to endure it all - pain, suffering, betrayal,greed,love and desperation just to be free. slight PhilippinesXAmerica on the later chappies. SLOW UPDATES.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

**Since Independence Day was coming up, and I saw Hideyakez-sama's drawing of Philippines (HURRAY TOMBOYS! xD) and the idea sorta POPPED outta my system, I had this written down. Only, i wanted it to be a ONE-SHOT but sadly, I had other options.**

**So, this fic is a multi-chapter about Philippines' struggles and hardships she had to endure to gain her freedom. Of course, Spain, America, England, China and Japan will be making cameos because They were our first teachers and were kind of important to her and such. Also, they might be OOC, since I wrote them as to how I understood my country's history.**

**HUNKY SPANIARD PAPA! xD HAHAHAHA, nvm that. **

**On March 15, 1521 Magellan came to Mactan, LALALALALALALA I DON'T KNO THE REST OF THE SONG! xD LA LA LA LA~**

**Disclaimer:**

**Hetalia belongs to Hideyakez Himaruya-sama's!**

**plot is MOINE! :3**

* * *

There_ was a lost little infant walking along the shore, she was uncertain of how she came here or how she came to be. But one thing's for sure to her, she was a no one._

_The rags hung from her light skin, her hair unkempt and unruly, and her face…seemingly void of showing any emotions._

_She stopped walking and stared out to the open sea. Closing her eyes and listening to the wave's crash and fall, like she was listening to someone's cry from afar, heeding its warning and receiving its message from vast lands._

_Occasionally, after she'd open her eyes, colored ships could be seen from afar. And when they'd land, the friendly merchants would trade with them what they have for something from her land. They were friendly folks, and if were not for her better judgment these people could have harmed her people. _

_A few years passed by and a new set of ships came to her land, the people were a whole lot different from the ones that used to come here. She saw them as they landed, then left once they settled in with her permission. Being with these strange people just wasn't her thing. She'd rather be alone actually. _

_As usual, she was at shore, trailing behind her stubby little footsteps. Her head was held high to the blue sky, wondering to herself. Her rags were replaced by an oversized tunic given to her by the traders, the tunic was quite old and overused from her activities, but she didn't seem to mind. The tunic was soft and comfortable, and that's all that matters._

_Heavy footsteps could be heard from behind her. She didn't turn back; it was probably some animal or someone. Anytime soon, he/she or it will pass by her._

"_Hey!" but she was sadly mistaken. Her head curiously turned towards the man behind her. She recognized him as the new settlers – sporting curly brown hair, lightly tanned skin, sparkling green eyes framing his handsome face. She stood her ground, not moving an inch closer to the man before her. Being very wary and cautious of him._

"_You…why…are you…alone?" he said between breaths._

_His eyes met hers, taking her back. His eyes were the greenest eyes she has ever laid her eyes on. To him, she seemed kind of deaf and lost, so he tried again. Kneeling before her and offering his smile._

"_Why are you alone?"_

_Her mouth opened "A-Alone?" _

"_Yes, alone. By yourself. I saw you from my ship and you always seem to be walking along the shore alone. Why?"_

_Eyes returned to the open sea, he followed her eyesight and looked at it. She wasn't smiling, but her eyes told him that she was._

"_The sea, it's big and wide. And the wind, it calls me. Talks to me. Listens to me. That's why" she explained to him slowly._

_He smiled at her. She was being honest and sincere, she walks along the shore everyday alone because she seems to be the only person who can feel the loneliness of objects so beautiful and taken for granted. She listens to its loneliness, and tries her best to comfort it. She's a wonder._

"_What's your name?" he asks. The girl looked puzzled and unsure._

"_N-Name?"_

"_Don't you have one?"_

_She shakes her head slowly. He brings his muscled arms forward and cups her pits, not standing up yet._

"_I'm Spain" he greets and lifts her up in the air._

"_And I think I'll name you…Philippines" _

"_Philippines" she repeats slowly, smiling at her new name._

"_You're the Pearl of the Orient Seas" Spain tells her, adoring his new henchman._

_Bringing her close to him, Philippines feels warm and…loved for the first time in her life. Tears streaming down her face, alarming Spain._

"_H-Hey! Are you alright?"_

_She wipes her tears away with the back of her hands, feeling ashamed of herself. He smiles at her warmly and hugs her again._

"_It's alright hija, I'm here…I'm here. I'll protect you, I promise"_

_That day, no longer were her little footsteps along the shore. That day, larger footsteps stood alongside hers. She was lonely no more. She had Spain. Someone who'll be there for her when she calls for it._

_And little did she know that when the waves came, they erased his and her footsteps._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's chapter 2! :D**

**oh, and i forgot to mention that these are all flashbacks. Dunno why, but italizing them were kinda interesting and perked a bit of interest in me. It's good isn't it? DAMN YOU YOUNGCHARLESXAVIER/JAMESMcAVOY FOR THAT**! SLOW UPDATES because SCHOOL is a HUGE DICK ;_;

**DISCLAIMER: Hetalia is Hideyakez Himaruya-sama's**

**ze plot is MOINE.**

* * *

"_Hija, where are you?" a tanned man called, a kaldero filled with steaming hot adobo in hand._

"_Gabriela?" he called again, putting the kaldero back to the stove._

_A maid walked by him, seemingly sweaty and a bit dirty. He called her._

"_A-Ah! Senor Antonio! B-Buenos Tardes!" she stammered._

_Antonio raised an eyebrow in suspicion, she couldn't look at him in the eye and seems to have gone through a lot._

"_Gabriela, have you seen her?" he asked sternly, though his shimmering emerald eyes seemed gleeful._

_Her expression shifted from confused to scared, she started to tear up making Antonio worry._

"_H-H-Hey-"_

"_Senora Gabriela is playing outside again! I tried to get her, but she was too fast Senor! I tried! I tried! HUHUHUHU" she sobbed._

"_Uh-huh"_

_Her sobbing attracted a lot of attention; tenants and fellow maids peeked from a corner and gave their master a bad look. Though he tried to calm her down, it only caused her to sob even more. He mouthed to them an 'it's-not-what-you-think' and a 'have-you-seen-Gabriela' which they all shrugged and left to continue their work._

_Antonio sighed and patted the maid, giving her a reassuring look head gesturing to the kitchen._

"_Don't worry Criselda, you're not in trouble. I'll just get Gabriela okay? I know where she is" the said maid stopped crying and headed towards the kitchen._

"_Make sure it's steaming hot by the time we come back!" he called off before he walked out._

* * *

_It had been a few decades already, and young Philippines, Gabriela Fernandez, can already feel the pressure being a nation can be. It's not hard, she knows that. But it's not exactly easy either. Antonio thoroughly kept his promise to her back when she was but a lost infant, he had nurtured her, took care of her, provided her needs and taught her everything she needs to know. He introduced the young nation to Christianity, a religion she took seriously and obeyed like her life depended on it. He baptized her later after the introduction, giving her a human name of Gabriela Fernandez._

_She now knows the difference of a mere human and a nation, for unlike them, a nation ages slower or for short, a nation is immortal. A horrifying discovery when she found out that it had been decades already and the maharlikas and katutubos she once knew had already wrinkled and died. Second, a nation can sometimes feel the pain her country is going through. Some of the times, she'd feel a fathom pain somewhere in her body and the next day after, a small bruise would appear. She cried and cried that night, practically going insane when she realized what she was._

_Why did being a nation have to be this hard? Is it always that the pain would randomly occur? Is she going to die under Spain's rule? Is he going to betray her soon? What will happen to her people? To her? The more she asked, the more she lost her grip on reality._

_When Antonio found out how she reacted, he held her close and sang her the most beautiful Spanish lullaby as he gazed comfortingly into her brown eyes softly lulling her to sleep. Gabriela held him close, terrified and unsure of herself allowing him to stroke her hair comfortingly. That night, Antonio narrated to her how he went into her state when he knew he was a nation as well. Gabriela kept her silence, and gazed up to her father-figure. He wasn't taking it well and almost resulted into suicide. And the only reason why he did so was because he felt so alone, so weak and so unsure of himself. If it weren't for Rome, he wouldn't be here right now. He taught him to be strong to fend off foes. Taught him to be ready for the unlikeness of what can happen. And because of him, he learned how to smile. Although he had to rebel against him sometime, Antonio remembered how Caesar Vargas willingly gave him his independence. He now was a powerful and strong nation, he even has henchmen and allies back at his place. She tugged his shirt, sadly asking if he was going to leave her. Antonio gaped. Her brown eyes locked unto his emerald eyes, waiting for his answer and he swore he saw himself in her. Quirking a small smile, he kissed her forehead and urged her to sleep. Gabriela tried to protest, but fatigue took her entirely. Taking one last look at her, Antonio thought about her question. Yes he had promised to never leave her, but will that really last forever?_

"_I wish…" he whispered, burying his face into his pillow._

* * *

"_I wish…" Gabriela said to the open horizon of the sea, remembering what he had said a few years back._

_Physically, she was around 7 years old. Through the years, she had been an obedient girl, around Antonio. When he wasn't around, Gabriela was a bit of a tomboy and quite brash she always had the tendency to drive the maids mad and dirty herself earning a scolding from him. But he was gentle and very caring towards her, understanding her new found self as a nation and knowledge taught to her._

_But old habits never die, and here she was at shore sandals at her side, toes digging through sand, knees propped up to her chest, arms resting on her knees while her brown eyes stared out to the open sea. Like always, waiting for the wind's message. Inhaling the salty breeze with her eyes shut, she didn't notice the sound of Antonio calling her from the woods. Only focusing to the wind alone._

* * *

"_Gabriela!" he panted, resting against a coconut tree as he stared out the beach, a small figure on spot._

"_Really, she can really be like Romano sometimes…" Antonio sighed "Some of the times, she reminds me of Portugal" he shuddered at the thought of his half-sister who urged her to take Ferdinand Magellan with him on an expedition._

"_Eh…I wonder how Romano and Portugal are doing?" he thought, giggling at the thought that Romano was probably eating some tomatoes right now and Portugal probably practicing her swordsmanship. Speaking of which, he never did teach Gabriela swords fighting did he? Just when the thought would pop out, he found himself on a meeting with some Generals and Priests._

"_Gabby!" he called out, using her nickname. He only calls her 'Philippines' around his boss during meetings or when he had to scold her. Calling her Gabriela was much more comforting to call her anyway._

"_Gabriela Fernandez!" he called out, a bit sternly she would stop whatever she was doing and behave when he calls her by her full name. Again, she didn't seem to respond._

_He was about to call her again when he noticed how she was fixated looking at the sea, recalling the time he watched her as a little girl dressed in rags all alone. And here she was again, like she always was. But now, she was different. She was no longer dressed in rags, nor had her short hair the two combinations mistook her for a boy. Now, her curly black hair stretched past her shoulders, she wore sophisticated clothes he bought for her, all-in-all she seemed like a proper nation. With the occasional dirt and grime she got from her misadventures._

_He hadn't realized that he was already walking towards her, smiling brightly at her silence. Much like the first time they met. He was already sitting beside her before he knew it. She looked like she was in bliss, savoring the moment she was having when a certain Spaniard blew into her ear._

"_ACK! P-Papa!" she stammered, face flushed from embarrassment. Antonio couldn't help but laugh at her aloofness, and here he thought she was brave._

"_Sorry hija!" he apologized, sitting right next to her "So you're here again as usual"_

_Gabriela furrowed her brows slightly offended "W-What's so wrong about that? Old habits die hard!" she pouted, turning away from him._

_He chuckled, ruffling her hair softly._

"_Well, aren't you going to tell me something?"_

_She turned to him, a bit puzzled and faintly…excited? Gabriela started by narrating how she snuck into the Cathedral and chatted with a few nuns and priests, afterwards, she headed off to a nearby farm where she was introduced to strange new foods and the rest were pretty much her escapades that caused the dirt on her clothes._

_She was growing up so fast, he thought proudly._

_As she finished her stories, Antonio stretched his limbs over his head and reached out his hand to hers._

"_Come on Gabby, it's getting late"_

_Gabriela groaned taking his hand to walk out of the beach._

"_Che, Criselda'll probably cry her eyes out when she sees me"_

"_Now don't say that Gabby, she was worried sick about you! You know that"_

"_I know, but…I'm not a kid anymore Papa, I can handle myself! Really"_

_"Really?" he challenged._

_Gabriela planted her hands to her hips and stared up with a smug grin on her chubby face._

_"REALLY!" and she went on, rambling about her other misadventure she had done while he had to return to Spain and report to his boss. _

_Antonio could have never been so proud that day, listening to his little henchmen talk about the things she marvelled and does all on her own. In a few years, she'd be Belgium's age! And who knows how mischievous and sly she could be._

_He looked at her once again, watching their hands sway and her little mouth talking at a normal pace. Then he began to think sadly of that day, the day he gained independence from Caesar Vargas. Sooner or later, little Gabby would want her freedom as well. It's not always you have to cling unto someone forever, and he knew that deep down._

_Hoisting Gabriela up to his shoulders, the little girl yelped at his sudden action and fearfully clutched his curly hair tight._

_"PAPA! SLOW DOWN!" she laughed through the air._

_Yes, Antonio knew that one day, it will come. _

_But now, with Gabriela on his shoulders the best thing to do for now is savour every moment they spend together before that day comes._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

******Err, it's not a surprise to find absolute zero reviews on this fic...eh, probably should have done a thing there. So, since I managed to write only THIS (daFUCKBRAIN!) forgive me my fellow Filipino citizens for I have failed our beloved country *bawls while feigning off migraine?***

**Hetalia is Hideyakez Himaruya-sama's! **

* * *

_She ran. As far as she can, as fast as she can. Her skinny legs were giving up on her, air losing itself of any air, wounds aching with every step she makes, and hot tears streaming down her face, but she didn't care. She needed to get out of here, from her home, from him. She didn't care where her legs were taking her, or how she'll never have the luxuries she once had. Just as long as she didn't have to see him._

_Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. _

_The person she once knew as her father-figure, her protector, her best friend, her everything. _

_But he betrayed her._

_All those promises he made her, lies, all lies. All those smiles and laughter shared with her, lies. His loving and caring nature, lies. All those years looking after her and gave her the love she longed, lies. Lies, Lies, Lies. They were all nothing but lies. A lie so great that he smothered in a sweet, sweet coating that she didn't see as she was blinded by new found feelings. Lies that was so great that it pierced her deeply. Lies so uncanny, that she didn't even notice how her people suffered and cried under his men's clutches. Lies, his lies how it hurt so much._

_**I'm here. I'll protect you, I promise. **__He had told her before, what a lie._

_A big fat well-planned and successful lie, a lie she fell for deeply._

_She was near, she saw Bagumbayan coming up close she was going to make it! Even with her weary legs, she pushed through, determination was getting to her._

"_Wa-Wait for me, please!" she panted, almost tripping when her sandal fell of her foot._

_She sped past the open field never stopping when she saw him, Jose Rizal, his chin held up high, face dignified as he prepared for his execution._

_**No**__ she thought, not believing what she was seeing._

"_Rizal!" she shouted at the top of her lungs._

_Everyone who was present at his execution all looked at the poor, beat up girl running towards him. There were dark rings under her eyes, indicating of how tired she was. Her expensive clothes now covered in cuts, blood and grime. Brown hair flailing out of place like she's been through hell. Cuts and bruises decorated her fair skin with an occasional blood here and there. Brown eyes glossy with tears as Rizal looked her way, a sad smile on his face._

"_Pilipinas…" she heard him whisper._

"_Rizal!" she shouted back._

_She ran past the guards, ran past the generals, past his relatives and even past him. She pushed away the guards surrounding him and embraced Rizal, sobbing in his clothes. As much as he wanted to hug back, he couldn't for his hands were tied up from behind and it ached her to know that._

"_Rizal! Rizal!" she sobbed._

"_Gabriela, Pilipinas…ba't ka nalulungkot bayan ko?" he asked kindly, almost too kindly. [Philippines, why is my country so sad?]_

_Hearing him still being so kind hurt her, how can he be so forgiving? After all she's done to him, how can he still forgive her? How? It just wasn't fair!_

"_Patawad, Patawad!" she looked up to him, brown eyes so swollen and hurt "Patawarin mo ako Rizal, kung nakinig sana ako sa iyo, ku-kung" she swallowed "K-kung, nandoon lang ako…K-Kung nakita ko lang…s-sana'y…s-s-s-ana'y, hindi mararating sa ganito! Kung saan, marami ang nasasaktan, marami ang namamatay, marami ang umiiyak, sumisigaw at humihingi ng kapayapaan, sana'y nakinig ako sa iyo! Patawarin mo ako Rizal!" she sobbed again, eyes already so tired from crying. [I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry! Forgive me Rizal, if only I listened to you, If only I was there, If only I saw, then...then it won't have come to this! Where many are hurt, dying, crying, screaming and seeking for peace If only I listened to you! Forgive me Rizal!]_

_Rizal sighed and kissed her head gently, causing her to look up._

"_Pinapatawad kita Gabriela, noon pa man pinatawad na kita. Dahil bayan kita, at maliit ka pa. Naiintindihan ko ang mga pinagdaanan mo dahil sumikap mong ipahalaga ang iyong sarili para may ipaglalalaki ang bayan. Dahil mahal kita, nang lubos-lubos. Maging matatag ka Gabriela, maging totoo ka sa sarili mo at higit sa lahat, maging matapang ka Pilipinas" [I forgive you Gabriela, already have long ago. Because you are my country, young as you are. I understand the hardships you've been through because you wanted to improve and make people proud. Because i love you, so much. Be strong Gabriela, Be true to yourself, and most of all be brave Philippines]_

_Gabriela cried even harder, nodding her head in understanding._

_Antonio was already behind her, listening to every word Rizal left her. He abruptly pulled her away from him, ordering the guards to continue the execution. Gabriela squirmed underneath his touch, not wanting to leave him yet._

"_RIZAL!" she screamed._

_He only smiled sadly in return, whispering "Paalam na bayan kong mahal" [Farewell my beloved Philippines]_

_Gabriela wriggled from his touch, punching him in the face to let her go. But Antonio was relentless, easily evading her punches and gripping her wrists tighter._

"_RIZAL! RIZAL!" she cried, unable to look away._

_His broad back was facing her, eyes set to the horizon. As if it were a silent film, everything was inaudible. Nobody could hear a thing. Nobody heard Gabriela's frantic cries. Nobody heard the seagulls cry towards the shore as they saw the scene from below. Nobody said a thing, just watched at the one man prepared to die for a selfless crime._

_The gunshots were fired all at the same time, leaving Rizal dead. Before he fell though, he looked up high to the sky a tragic look on his face then fell limp to the ground._

_Gabriela choked on her words, tears streaming faster than before and body becoming numb feeling a thousand needles prickle. _

"_RIZAL!" she screamed guiltily as Antonio let her fall to the ground, sobbing to the ground._

_Antonio watched her little henchmen choked up in guilt which was also slowly eating her alive. He hated to see her like this, he never planned to do harm to her. Never intended to hit her when she secretly joined a revolt against his men, never intended to cut her when she defied him and he never ever intended to let her be so condemned. Condemning herself for all the faults she has put herself into, losing a very dear friend who taught her things and talked her about the abuses his men have been doing._

_He wanted to hold her like he used to when she had nightmares, singing a sweet lullaby as he does so. But how can he? How can he do so when he betrayed her? Filled her with lies all her life just for his fame, fortune and glory? How can he?_

_Gabriela just cried and cried, feeling an unknown pain stab her heart. A pain she knew as 'the death of a great hero', the death of her good friend, Dr. Jose Rizal._

_**Maging matatag ka Gabriela, maging totoo ka sa sarili mo at higit sa lahat, maging matapang ka Pilipinas.**_

_She clenched her fists tight, tight enough to draw blood. Jaw gritting together that it hurt. Eyes squinting through the tears, she watched the open horizon he stared moments ago. The wind, howling in her face giving her a new found strength._

"_I will be free" she whispered to herself. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar fooooolks! **

**I'm really, really, really, really happy to receive new reviews from you goyz. YOU MADE MY HEART MEEEEEEEEEEELT :'D nyahahaha~**

**Anyways, to answer one question from my review uh...I think I will. But, from my understanding or how I see it. **

**Funny thing, I just knew about Germany and England's invasion-like to Philippines via artwork from deviart. xD nyahahahaha! And how evil of me not to mention China, Japan and a few Arabs! They were our first non-harming and friendly trader slash teachers! D: DAAAAAAAAAANG! Ah well, might as well mention them sometime. :3**

**Oh, and this chapter is totally NAWT related to history or whatsoever. Just a random chapter I came up with yesterday. I was dying to write a Papa-daughter scene. And an advance reminder, it's kinda blood and shiz. -_-**

**WOW, Senior year really is a wreck. I blanked out a few times during my subject orientations just thinking about new reviews and ideas for my fics. **

**And to answer your questions, YES Phiri-tan has been drawn by the Great Himaruya-sama. I saw it in his archive. Just click the link on my profile alright? Since FF is really being HARD to get -_-**

**And between you and me, I really vote for Portugal to be a female. And I vote for that scary looking Portugal drawing of his, though the short haired was really cute. :3 I didn't know East Timor was invaded by Portugese? D: Kshaaaaaaare!**

**WRITER'S BLOCK, I WILL FIGHT YOU!**

**HURRAH FOR NEW FOUND DEBATE SOCIETY!**

**FORGIVE ME FOR LEAVING IVAC! T_T**

**Disclaimer: Hetalia is Hideyakez Himaruya-sama's!  
**

**ze plot is moine. All events and historical people are NOT mine, just borrowed for the purpose of this ficcy.**

* * *

_Twelve days._

_It had been exactly twelve days since the execution._

_Twelve days since she lost all interest in living, herself, and her sanity._

_Twelve days since she last ate a thing – her body though seemed plump, but she was really dying inside._

_Twelve days since she last saw him, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. That day was the last time she stared at him in the eye, then never again after she was thrown into her dungeon. _

_Twelve days since she last spoke. Her tongue felt like it was in knots, unable to move or say a thing. The guilt was eating her alive._

_Twelve days since she last saw the blue horizon her very dear friend, Dr. Jose Rizal gave one last glance at._

_Twelve days since, and she has never felt this dead. Yes, she could still breathe but it wasn't enough. Listening to her own breath was like remembering the gunshots that took his life. Every shake, adhered the pain to crawl in further. Any sound she might here – might they be a rat, squeaks from the cells, angry Spanish officials arguing from the outside, the birds chirping or so, paranoia seeped in. Instead of hearing all those, it was replaced with angry voices mocking her very state._

* * *

_**FOOL! INDIO! WALANG HIYA! HAHAHA!**_

_**KAWAWANG GABBY! KAWAWANG GABBY!**_

_**PILIPINAS KA BA TALAGA? NAKAKAHIYA! **_

_**BA'T KA BA NANDITO SA KULUNGAN? BA'T WALA KA SA PILING NG MAGALING MONG AMA?**_

_**PATAYIN MO NA ANG SARILI MO! MAGPAKAMATAY KA NA! **_

"_Stop…" she shook once again, grasping her already shaken head hugging her legs closer "P-P-Please…j-just-"_

_**Hindi ka ba nasisiyahan Gabriela? WALA NA SI RIZAL! At alam niyo ba kung sino ang dahilan sa pagkamatay niya?**_

"_N-No…! N-N-I don't want to hear it, I-I don't! P-Please! M-Make…i-i-it s-s-sto-op" her voice practically echoed through the spacious room. She huddled her body to the corner of that room even though there was no more space to huddle into._

_**Sino?**_

_**Sino!**_

_**SINO!**_

_**SINO!**_

"_No-"_

_**Edi, ang magaling nating bansa…at wala nang iba kundi si Gabriela Fernandez!**_

_Multiple voices in her head began laughing at her, growing louder and louder. She had not noticed that she was already screaming and crying in her cell. A few countrymen had to bear listening to their country's pain as the Spaniards mistreated them. The officials looked up from her single window then rolled their eyes away._

"_AYOKO KO NA!" she screamed, feeling her throat being pricked by a thousand needles "AYOKO KO NA! PATAYIN MO NA AKO! PATAYIN MO NA AKO!" she screamed even louder, loud enough that it might cause her to bleed._

_Skin digging deep into her scalp, she dug so hard that blood slowly oozed out from her scalp to her forehead. It hurt. But it wasn't enough. Not enough pain compared to what she had right now._

_Her brown eyes closed shut, allowing her hot tears to stream down her distraught and unhealthy looking face. The vibrant already long gone the moment she watched him die with her own eyes._

_She hated this._

_Hated everything._

_Did she?_

_Is she supposed to hate everything?_

_No, there's nothing or no one to blame. _

_It's hers._

"_A-A-Ako…?" taking her hands from her head, she stared at them. Watched them quiver in fear, like they weren't her own._

_**Ikaw ang dahilan!**_

_**Oo nga, ikaw ang may sala magaling naming Pilipinas.**_

_**Ikaw. Ikaw. Ikaw. Ikaw. IKAW. IKAW…IKAW…IKAW! IKAW! IKAW! IKAW!**_

_Like a deranged madman, she crawled on her hands and knees seemingly finding something. _

_Sharp…Something sharp…_

_But all she found was a little rock, about the size of her fist. No sharp edges or whatsoever, just heavy. It will do._

_Raising the rock to her eye level, she began to hit herself with it. With every hit, she applied more force into it smacking it harder and harder. Blood began to drip down, blurring her eyesight slipping by her mouth. She tasted her own blood. How salty it tasted._

_**Masarap ba? Hindi pa 'yan sapat te!**_

_**SIGE PA! **_

_And like a fool, she obeyed them hitting herself harder and harder, blood dripping down at a fast pace. _

_It wasn't enough, just letting herself bleed was not enough. Not enough to take everything back. Take back all the lives she's neglected. Take back the cries her countrymen once did. Take back the heavy discrimination they had done. Take back the times where she could have been there to stop it. Take back time if she wished. Just to take it all back._

"_GABRIELA!" a new voiced called. _

_But this voice did not come from her head; it came from the outside of her cell. It did not sound like it mocked her; rather, it was filled with worry, guilt, compassion and…love? Who was this again?_

_Raising her head towards the door, she squinted her eyes at the sight of Antonio. Emerald orbs widening in horror at the sight of her. The guards were right about her, she looked like hell. Her eye bags were already so deep and dark, body so thin and malnourished and not to mention sickly pale, there was more dirt and bruises on her body than last time but what shook him the most was the sight of the rock in her hand covered with her own blood an open gash on her head with fresh blood oozing out._

"_-ho?" she whispered through chapped lips._

_Antonio ran into her cell, dropping to his knees once he was in front of her. Smacking the rock away, he took a clean cloth from his pocket and used it to wipe her hands, then to her face. He felt Gabriela flinch from his touch, probably from the pain._

"_I-It's a-alri-right Gabby, P-Pa" he swallowed, forcing a smile into his face "Papa's here…"_

_Papa? _

"_P-Papa…?" Gabriela looked up with tired eyes, body ready to give up on her._

_He had not noticed the tears brimming in his eyes when he heard her call him that. How he missed her calling him that. Wrapping the cloth around her injury to stop the bleeding, Antonio leaned down to kiss her forehead. His arms slowly wrapped themselves around her, hugging her warmly and lovingly like he used to._

"_That's right Gabby, Papa's here" he sniffed "Papa's here" he repeated over and over again._

"_P...apa…" she whispered, already being brought back to reality with just this._

_She called out to him. Antonio choked in his throat and broke into sobs, hugging her tighter and closer if possible. How can he still call her that? She, his unofficial daughter, someone he refused to call his henchmen and colony. How can she still call him that? After everything she's been through – harsh treatment, the abuses, mockery and unjust to her and her people, how can she still find in her little heart to call him 'Papa'? Was God being cruel to him?_

"_Papa!" Gabriela cried once again, reaching out her hands to hold him close "Papa! Papa!" she sobbed into his chest, clutching his already tear stained shirt._

"_Papa…Papa!" _

_Antonio only held her closer, whereas Gabriela did the same both not wanting to let go of the other._

"_I-I'm sorry Gabby…I'm so sorry…"_

* * *

**_and since I'm too lazy to add translations, just check them out in googletranslate okay? :D_**

**_till next time! :D_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hiya~ (^w^)/ nyanyanyanyanyanya LOLWAT.**

**Yeah, sorry I just updated now. Senior Year and all that crazy shit. URGH. **

**ANYWAYS, how ya doing goyz? Miss me? BECAUSE I MISS YOU! :* LOLOLOLOLOLOL. anyways, back to business seriously. The plot seems to be fast paced don'cha think? skipped alot of things here and there. **

**and remember the previous chapter? I was planning to put up Andres Bonifacio there, he was the one who helped her escape BUT, i just had to write that PapaDaughter moment that made you people cry. And seriously? I laughed when you guys said that. I read that chapter like 4 times and still couldn't feel a thing. HARHARHAR. sarreh! :* **

**THANKS AGAIN FOR THE REVIEWS, FAVES and FOLLOWS!**

**ALSO, WISH ME GOODLUCK THAT I PASS ON MY COLLEGE EXAM! ;x; i really regret not writing up my 2nd choice for the campus, i would have written Political Science, Psychology, BS History, BS Asian Studies or Law. KSHARE xD**

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND, remember when I said I regret not paying respect to China? WELL, GOODNEWS! I MADE THIS!**

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND, IT'S AUGUST! AND THAT MEANS = KAGAY-ANON FESTIVAL! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY ! CARNIVAL!CARNIVAL!CARNIVAL! NO SCHOOL DAYS! NO SCHOOL DAYS! BUWAN NG WIKA! BUWAN NG WIKA! FUCKINGEXAMS!FUCKINGEXAMS! MORE WRITING! MORE WRITING! lolwat. xD  
**

**Disclaimer: Hetalia is NAWT moine. Only the Plot weeeeeeeeee~  
**

* * *

_Decades ago, before the Spaniards came and conquered the Philippines, there were the Chinese and Arab traders - the original teachers of young Gabriela Fernandez slash Philippines. _

_She had no name, no identity. But kind as these sea faring traders were, they decided to give her a temporary name. A name that will suit her for a certain period of time. _

_Sunshine._

_Yeah, it sounds kinda cheesy and overrated. But they couldn't help it! _

_The first time they set foot on this foreign land, they just so happen to spot her eyeballing at them curiously. And it had taken them a few minutes to get to know each other and to settle down her men at these new people._

_When they presented to her their good intentional gifts in exchange for theirs, she smiled._

_But it was no ordinary smile these sea farers have ever seen before. This was a new and mystifying-like smile they have ever seen before. _

_With just her smile, they felt a longing warmth building up in their lonely hearts. _

_A smile like that, brimming them to tears. Like they were to witness a holy convocation of some kind. Or like, being with a deity before their very eyes, a deity so kind and innocent. A deity with a smile that could be compared to the sun above._

_Young as she was, she had always been a very hospitable and fair person. Though she did not know that she was a human personification of her country, it was a fresh beginning. A beginning that will lead her to many things._

* * *

"_Aiyah~ here you are again aru!" shouted that one trader as he skipped rock to rock towards the young girl. She merely smiled at him, acknowledging his presence._

"_What do you want Yao?" she asked gruffly for a 3-year old, skipping rocks through the creek as she splashed her foot upon contact with water. _

_The rags she dare calls her clothes hung lightly against her skin, showing signs of being worn out. The very sight of her clothes worried the Chinese man. How can the poor lass survive with such garments? And is she aware of the smell emitting off from her?_

"_Well...I'm just wondering" he starts, sitting upon a large rock beside her intently observing her rock skipping. _

"_Well?" she asks him after a moment of uncertain silence._

_Yao exhales a breathe, running a hand through his jet black hair._

"_Why aren't you wearing the clothes I gave you?" _

_The young girl jumps in place, rock thrown in front of her causing splashes to splatter all over her face. Heck, the rock was just the size of her palm! Some force she placed there. Inhuman strength._

_He hears her 'tch' angrily before breaking into a light laughter, shaking her head incuriously at his question._

"_Are you serious?"_

_The Chinese man gave her a stern look that read yes-i'm-dead-serious. She was unaffected though by this._

"_Really Sunshine, you should learn to appreciate the things given to you aru!" again, he was using weird 'aru' thing again. Really, it sounded more and more annoying each day! _

"_I'm quite satisfied with what I have now Yao" she stubbornly told him, going back to skipping rocks._

_Quite frankly, she's happy with these foreign traders. Thanks to them, she has learned a lot of things and gained new found knowledge about the outside world. Learned that there different people beyond the horizon. There were people who spoke in a different tongue. People who have different appearance. And there were people who are on a mission spreading their good name. Much like her friend, Yao._

_And though she seems to have everything, she can't help but shake an awkward feeling nagging her from the start. She had no clue what it was, but all she knew was that it was really twitchy and random._

_Helping herself up, the young girl threw the remaining rocks to the water allowing a few splashes to come in contact with her skin. Yao watching her silently as she strode towards him, he immediately offered her a small smile. Not sure why he did it, but probably because he wanted to see hers. He needed something to cheer him up and it just so happens that hers was the something he needed. When she was a few inches from him, the young girl narrowed her eyes at him brows furrowed in confusion when she found him grining like an idiot._

"_What's up with you?" she asked, scratching her scalp._

"_Oh nothing, Sunshine. You're just so cute- ow! Aiyah, what did you do that for?" grunted Yao. He rubbed his arm to relieve the pain, for a three year old, she sure packs a punch._

"_Don't lie to me Yao, you know I hate being lied to." She warned, pointing at him accusingly._

_He then sighed dejectedly, surrendering to the younger female. She was too cute to refuse anyway, and it was only fair he told her the truth. Wow, parenting her for what, 3 years? She sure learned a lot from him!_

_The sky turned into a shade of scarlet, sundown came too fast._

_It was already time for him to go. Oh how he hated leaving. _

_Leaving meant sailing for days and days over the open ocean, seeing nothing but water and sky, smelling the salty breeze and occasional smell and leaving little Sunshine behind._

_He hated that. The girl grew on him, much like an orchid to a tree._

_He and she were pretty much attached. They connected, had a good connection that absolutely no one could break. A bond that was all too powerful. _

_But he had to go, she wasn't the only one he had a bond with. There were more little ones waiting for him out there, and he was dying to be at their side as well._

_Turning on his heel, Sunshine was surprised but came to pout when she realized what was going on. She was glad that he turned away so he didn't have to see her frown, the sad one. Like him, she hated when he left. She hated being left behind. Although the maharlikas, datus, timawas and other tribes were there, she enjoyed Yao's presence. He was different than them, was her reason. Because of their differences, she enjoyed him even more. But not in a romantic sort of way! Yao was like a father to her, the father she never had. Some of the times, she was like a mother as well. The way he squealed when she pranked him a couple of times were good enough to prove that even manly men like Yao have a feminine side to it._

"_Sunshine~" called Yao._

_Quickly putting on another face, she slowly lifted her head to his only to be surprised when his hand held out to hers._

"_Y-Yao?" she stuttered. She never stutters._

_Chuckling softly, he took her hand tugging it forward._

"_Walk with me to the shore?" he asks her, golden amber eyes staring at her brown ones. _

_Her face heated up at an incredible rate. This is not how they usually say goodbye to each other, this was a first. A very good first._

_After a moment, Sunshine nodded her head slowly. A sad smile creeping on her face. _

"_Sure, lead the way"_

* * *

_The walk back to shore was awkward._

_Real awkward. _

_No, they weren't awkward with the idea that they held hands back to shore. They even held a conversation as a proof that it wasn't awkward._

_What was really awkward was the feeling the two were feeling. Like, this was the last time the two are going to hold hands and talk like this. The very last time. _

_And it ached them with the very thought of it._

How is this going to be the last time?_ They both thought._

No, don't think like that! He always comes back. He will come back. He will. _She assured herself._

Aiyah, what am I thinking? How is that going to happen? I always come back to her. _Yao berated to himself._

_Just as when the shore was in sight, he felt Sunshine clutch his hand a bit tighter. Yao was surprised by this and immediately turned his head down to her, golden amber eyes widened in shock when he found the fresh tears spilling out from her gorgeous brown eyes._

"_S-Sunshine?" he asks, attempting to release his hand to go and comfort her. She only held on tighter causing him to yelp._

"_Aiyah! Sunshine, what's happening to you aru?" he asks again, kneeling down to her level and using his free hand to wipe away her tears. But the action caused her to cry even harder._

_Yao was getting alarmed by her, from the corner of his eye he saw a couple of maharlikas giving the two a look before disappearing into the woods. A few of his men looked at him, glaring at him for making her cry of which Yao denied._

"_It's not what you think aru! Aiyah, what's wrong with you Sunshine? Really?" he asked in a worried and semi-annoyed monotone, rubbing her back comfortingly._

_She mumbled incoherently under her breathe, holding unto his hand even tighter. Afraid to let go. Afraid to see him go. Afraid to be alone again._

_She heard him sigh loudly, feeling ashamed for making him feel bad. _

"_What was that Sunshine?" Yao ruffled her short dark locks. She could tell that he was keeping his patience knowing that very well how he hated getting angry – the man had the patience of a saint._

"_I…I said, that- that I…you…thi-this…oh god." Taking her hand away from his, she took both her hands and buried her face sobbing even harder from a moment ago._

_Yao didn't move from his place or got angry, he just watched. Watched as Sunshine cried her heart out, crying over the fact that he was leaving again. He felt her pain, felt it because it mirrored his._

_Topaz orbs of his filled with sincerity softened as he watched her shoulders shook with every sob. And seeing her so much in pain, it just broke him. _

_Reaching out for her, he brought her in his arms embracing her pain. Showering her with his affection trying to get to her. Wanting her sadness to wash away and her smile back. He didn't want to leave with her crying, it'd scar him for life. He hated crying, it was just filled with so much sadness and not to mention how much it ruins someone's beauty. He'd been dealing with so much sadness in his life in the past. He was glad enough to pull through it. And now, he wants her to do the same too._

_This was no longer business to him now. Coming here meant more, coming here meant…meant…it meant, like a whole new thing to him. Like, there was more to life than travelling now. Life became much more interesting now. And it was all because of her._

_Sunshine._

"_Shh, Shh,Shh, calm down now Sunshine" he tried._

_Her stubby little hands held unto his silk clothing staining it in the process, sobbing even harder. She was trying her earnest to stop her sobs. How embarrassing, she rarely shows any one of her fragile side. Usually, they'd see a brash, wise and independent little girl. Some girl who wasn't ashamed of laughing her heart out on a harmless prank she gave out. Some girl who knew what to do in times when nothing seems to make any sense. Some girl who dared to wrestle a crocodile to prove to the young boys that she wasn't as chicken as they thought she was. No, she wasn't like any girl. She was the one and only. _

"_I-I said…" she tried, pulling away from his embrace and strongly wiping her tears. _

"_I'm listening" Yao stated very carefully._

"_Err…I uh…I-I…" she was muttering out words, feeling her face burn up with embarrassment. She can't believe she was gonna say this._

"_Hmm?" his slim lady-like hands brushed hers comfortingly, asking her to go on._

"_I…I…I…."_

_All of a sudden, a loud caw was heard startling Yao coincidentally making him miss a word that left out of her mouth. The silver and brown eagle propping over a tree branch just above them- wait a second, was that Buhawi? And is that- Damn bird, he's good._

"_ARGH! POTANG-INA KA BUHAWI! SINARA MO OH!" screamed Sunshine at the top of her lungs, shrieking cusses in her native tongue._

"_Uh…Sunshine aru?" asks Yao confusingly._

_Then she breaks out of the hug and starts attacking him, throwing punches to his face. Yao shrieked in pain, prying to grab a hold of her wrists. _

"_Aiyah! Ow, Ow, Ow, OW! Sunshine, what's gotten into you now-"_

"_I SAID I'M GONNA MISS YOU YAO! I AM GOING TO MISS YOU SO MUCH!" she screamed angrily through the tears, hands on either side of his shoulders._

_Yao was wonderstruck at her sudden outburst, never really expecting her to speak out something from her mind. _

_Usually, Sunshine was stubborn and secretive when it came to her personal feels. Never letting out what she wanted unless she wanted to. She was that tough._

_Or, stubborn._

"_I'M GONNA MISS YOU YAO! AND I'M NOT SORRY FOR HITTING YOU!" she screamed through the tears, pounding his shoulders with her fist, he felt them shook with every hit "YEAH I KNOW YOU COME BACK SOMETIME, BUT I-I….I JUST GOTTA LET YOU KNOW SOMETHING ALRIGHT?! I'M GONNA MISS YOU, YOU AND YOUR MEN, YOU AND YOUR LOUSY EXCUSE FOR BEING MANLY (ouch), YOUR TEACHINGS AND TOPMOST, I'M GONNA MISS HANGING OUT WITH YOU!"_

_She pulled back, landing on her bottom harshly, curling like a ball desperately sobbing. Good thing it was only Yao to witness her break down like this. _

_She hadn't notice the soft gleam in his eyes, or the way a single strand of tear slipped down his face or how he was already in front of her, embracing her again. But a bit tighter and warmer this time._

"…_Me too Sunshine…" he said fervently through her hair "Me too..."_

_Her head instantly shot up to meet his, seeing Yao's soft expression. Wrapping his arms around her tiny frame, he picked her up as he walked towards his ship. Her head resting against his shoulder, sobs lodged in her throat. _

_They travelled in silence as they neared his ship, her sobbing stilled and chubby face stained from dried tears. Tears, she dried off from her worn out shirt._

_She expected him to put her down, but he didn't. He was still humming. Why is that?_

"_Y-Yao?" her voice sounded hoarse, probably from too much crying "Put me down now, y-you have to go"_

_But he still hummed, eyes directing from a distance._

_She followed his gaze in curiosity, surprised to find them staring at the clouded moon. _

_As the clouds slowly revealed the moon, Yao's humming stopped. Cueing him to put her down. He knelt down to her level._

"_I have something for you" taking something from his pocket, he handed her a silk. Shirt?_

_A silk blue shirt._

"_Oh harhar, very funny Yao"_

_Yao only chuckled heartily, kissed her forehead one last time before bidding her goodbye._

_He watched her as they left, even from afar, he'd spot her. She was there, she never left. She was there until the ship looked like a tiny dot from afar. She stayed until she was alright. _

_Up until dawn, she was still there._

_And when the sun finally rose, she felt contended and left._

_He was coming back, like he always would._

* * *

Gabriela's eyes shot wide open, surprised to find herself sweating and shaking with fear. She was more than surprised to find herself in her old room, in her lavender sheets, fresh scented Sampaguita flowers on her lap and bandages. Lots and lots of bandages.

"Gabby? What's wrong?" asks Antonio in a worried tone, putting the Sinigang on the bedside.

"Wh-Wha-" her voice was dry, causing her to cough up. Antonio immediately ran to her side, handing her a cool glass of water. She finished the glass in one gulp, taking deep breathes as she apprehended the situation at hand.

"Are you alright Gabby?" asks her father-figure again, taking her hand and rubbing it.

….

"I-uh, I…I just…I-I…I had a bad dream"

A very bad dream.

* * *

_A year had passed by, and she awoke crying from her sleep. Followed by an emptiness inside. She ran out her bed, out her kubo, away from the tribe. She ran towards the shore, running as fast as she can. The feeling was killing her. It felt so hollow and empty, she hated it._

No...No.

It can't be.

H-He promised!

_Her now shoulder-length brown hair flew behind her as she ran. She was now a bit lady-like with the way her silk blue cloth hugged her 4-year old frame. Brown eyes filled with determination and fear as the shore was now in sight. _

_Flying above her, she heard Buhawi crying out to her. But she didn't listen, just kept running and running. Ran until her legs felt the sand in her feet._

_But as she came on shore, there was nothing in sight.  
_

_No more familiar colors hanging up high. No more wooden ship. No more chattering and boisterous laughter welcoming her. No more men in colorful outfits. And sadly...No more him.  
_

_With this realization, she dropped to her knees. Tears already spilling out of her face before she knew it.  
_

_She stayed like that for a few hours until she felt her eagle, Buhawi, nudge her shoulder. She smiled for his sake then stood up.  
_

_As she returned to the tribe, she abruptly took out the Datu's sword and chopped out her long hair. Everyone was shocked when she did so, some priests and priestesses cried sympathetically and the Datu, watched her silently. He was saddened knowing that their friends weren't coming back. Buhawi took a few strands of her chopped hair and spread them to the ocean, grieving for a broken promise.  
_

_She didn't have to go back and check, because she already knew. Even when she told herself a thousand times, she still knew.  
_

_Yao was never coming back._

* * *

**REUPLOADED. because i felt like i really needed to write the last part. AND i won't promise a chapter with the Arabs. FORGIVE ME TEACHERS!  
**

**I LOVE YOU CHINA! EVENTHOUGHYOURTRYINGTOGETUSB ACKBYTAKINGTHESHOREFROMUSAND STILLHOLDINGAGRUDGEAGAINSTUS FROMTHATHOSTAGETAKINGEVENT. I kid here. anyone who does not understand sarcasm, please get out. :D  
**

**I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE YOU YAAAAAAAAAAAAO! :****

**AND I SO FACKING HATE YOU SCHOOL FOR RUINING MY LIFE.**

**I HATE YOU BRAIN FOR MAKING ME SO FACKING SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys! Wow, I haven't updated in like...forever. I blame high school for that. But anyways, I'm back in business! I flinally have my own notebook! HUZZAH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAND, I'm a college freshman! YAY! HAHAHA. anyways, I'm trying to be organized with my studying and writing, sooooooo, I think I'll updated...after a week or so?**

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND, this is an Independence Day write-up for my beloved country. It's supposed to be longer, but this was supposed to be done a looooooooong time ago. So DANG. Happy Birthday Philippines and Russia! (even though it's tomorrowz)**

**Thanks so much for your reviews and faves guys, they inspire me so much as an amateur writer :')**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, just the plot.**

* * *

_"HEY! HEY? HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!?" a shrill foreign voice calls from below her. _

_Gabriela Carriedo – now legally 16 of free mind, body and will, who had just declared her independence 4 days ago- stayed still 4 feet above the ground and ensured that her breathing was as silent as the wind passing by as she remained as still as a rock all the while praying for Mr. whatshisface to leave her alone._

_"Ma'am! Bumaba pa kayo diyan! Baka maano kayo!" she hears her fat cook call out worriedly, but still, she remained as is._

_If she remembered clearly, it had been a year since she last saw her father-figure and demanded her freedom from him. _

_After 333 years of being dominated, undermined and mistreated, she finally found the strength and courage to stand up for herself. No, not only for herself, but for the many other Filipinos crying for the freedom they've always wanted._

_For one, Gabriela has always been a skillful fighter; whether they may be wooden rattans, a machete, an arrow or a gun, she was very evasive and a fast learner. Clearly far from the other girls of her age (correction: physical age), and clearly far from the expectations of how her innocent face can actually be so capable of handling something as dangerous as weapons._

_But still, she can't stop remembering that feeling of blood rush running through her veins the moment she made her first kill. A random Spanish soldier who was about 30-40 years old, she had shot him square in the head while raiding one of their camps. Young as she was, she was very determined to get the freedom her people needed, but she never expected that in order to do that, she'd have to go through bloody battles._

_It still haunted her up to this point, the many Spaniards she killed, the blood that washed over her like rain, their cries that never left. Even after Antonio had finally given her what she had fought for, the nightmares wouldn't leave her alone. _

_For many nights, she suffered waking up in the middle of the night screaming and sweaty, then having troubles going back to sleep. It had irked her, especially when they were preparing for their upcoming Independence Day and for that childish need of hers to have Antonio lull her back to sleep. _

_What a foolish need, bring him back? Bring him back to her (technically, it was his, but it was built on her land making it hers) house just to help her sleep again? How preposterous! But then again, old habits die hard. And to give herself some break from her marathon of nightmares, she found herself where she usually was. Out here in towards the open sea._

_The wind swept her face ever so softly and coolly, like it usually does. She smiled softly as the feel of the ocean breeze hitting her face, like it was silently telling her how much they missed her. Without even knowing, she found herself in her old position with her usual expression of content and relaxation on her face._

_Then a sense of familiarity would start between the two opposite forces._

_"Hello again friend." the wind would 'whisper' to her ear rather excitedly._

_"Hello to you too." she'd answer back telepathically._

_"It's been a while."_

_"A while indeed."_

_"We've missed you."_

_"I've missed you more." the sound of the waves crashing over managed to calm her down, her shaking started to calm down. The coolness of the wind brushing through her hair almost resembled the way Antonio would run his fingers through her dark locks, soothing her nerves with the sensation._

_"How are you my friend?" it asked._

_The question caused her to blow a raspberry, annoyed even at the element for asking such a question._

_"Troubled, Tired, Stressed, take your pick." she replied blatantly, rather surprising herself. This wasn't how she usually talked with the element. She'd usually be calm, content and curious, opposite to the feelings she shared. _

_A harsh gush of wind whipped across her, sending her hair to her face, almost resembling a slap to the face. She gave a childish pout to the element, almost hearing it laugh through her ears._

_"Calm down friend, you shan't have to be hasty." _

_"Tch, easy for you to say. You're not the one having problems with sleepless nights thanks to nightmares or having to go through a great deal as a nation."_

_"True, true...I'm nothing more than an element lurking secretly amongst you humans. But still, you mustn't get to apprehensive. Calm down."_

_She gave a sigh, a heavy sigh as she put her chin on her knees. Eyes lazily staring up at the moon, following the clouds as it shadows over the moon._

_"I'm trying to."_

_Silence._

_"Why do you say so?"_

_Gabriela remained silent, her toes digging into the sand beneath her. The grip on her elbows tightened, her breathe going shaky._

_"I could still hear the screams, the clashing of blades and the gunshots. I could almost smell the gunpowder and the blood. I can always feel the spits of blood on my face."_

_The wind grew silent._

_"I only wanted freedom. I wanted to free my people from the bondages of unjusticeness, from discrimination, from corrupting leaders and all. But not in a way where blood must be shed, not that way. Where is the peace in all those?"_

_She wanted to cry, but the tears won't come. They've dried since._

_"Antonio was a father to me," she added. "I loved him. He was the father I've always wanted. But I never thought he'd betray me like that." Memories of him beating her up came to mind. "I never thought he'd do such a thing to me, to us. I can't believe how blind I've become."_

_Ominously, the waves washed past her feet. Her skirt had now gone wet, Gabriela immediately stood and whined._

_"What was that for?"_

_The waves just kept washing by her, a gust of wind blowing before her. All as if the wind was trying to taunt her, to make a mockery of her. Gabriela was just about to storm off when she heard it whisper. Her eyes widened in shock, but she did not look back._

_She took in the words, anticipating even. _

_'Smile my friend, for tomorrow is another day. A new future beholds. A new beginning awaits.'_

* * *

_"Hey, who is that?" asks a certain blond nation, pointing at the raven haired girl overlooking from Emilio Aguinaldo's office window._

_The blond was with a few soldiers, casually tagging along with them for fun when a certain someone caught his eye._

_"The black haired one?" questioned the soldier nearest the blond._

_"There are a lot of black haired people here stupid." Grumbled the soldier beside him._

_"The one wearing that silky-like shirt! That girl!"_

_"Oh, you mean her?"_

_The blond nation piped up, leaping childishly. "Yeah, yeah, her! Who is she?"_

_"She's Spain's daughter." They told him before returning to their rounds, leaving the blond nation behind._

_He looked back at her, finding her absentmindedly fiddling with the hem of her shirt as her mind drifted elsewhere. It was almost as if she's smiling, but at the same time, she almost looked like she was bored. He found himself walking towards her direction, only for her to be called back in._

_The blond smiled. "So you're the Philippines huh…"_

* * *

_The sound of a crack awoke the Filipina, startling her. Just as she was about to check what it was, the branch she was on gave away. She heard her fat cook screech. She was a few feet off ground after all._

_Gabriela closed her eyes, bracing herself for a painful impact to the hard ground and a possible broken back, ankle, leg or arm or a scratch. But she did not expect to land on a pair of strong arms and the faintest scent of burgers and fries._

_Opening her eyes, she was met with a pair of eyes that was all blue, blue like the ocean. He had straight blond hair with a strange cowlick standing straight up. Clearly he was a foreigner. He was smiling a toothy grin down at her, flashing his gleaming white teeth. Gabriela felt her cheeks flush, he was just so handsome. His name was just by the tip of her tongue, but she was so lost in his handsome features that she almost forgot to speak._

_"Ha ha! The hero saves the day!" says the happy foreigner in an obnoxious tone, not once straying his eyes from her. That smile on his face was just so bright, she swore she'd go blind from it._

_"O-Oy, put me down!" Gabriela shrieks embarrassed, she was trying not to let it show. She struggled from his arms, but the foreigner laughed at her, tightening his hold around her._

_"No can do! You might run off again!"_

_The heat on her face almost rivaled of the summer waves, she tried hard to scowl. The blond man wasn't affected at all, just smiling away like an idiot at her._

_"Loko-loko ka, PUT ME DOWN!" she screeched, beginning to thrash. But like the idiot she think he was, he merely shrugged it off with his obnoxious laughter._

_The two began walking away with the fat cook behind them, surprisingly silent for the occasion of which Gabriela hadn't taken notice of. _

_They began to approach the city hall where a newly elected president awaits, and a room full of important officials. The cook went on ahead, smiling to herself at her young master getting along with a new foreign friend. And with the cook taking her leave, Gabriela felt the foreigner take a different route. She panicked a bit._

_"H-Hey, where are you taking me? The hall's that way!"_

_"I know." He says with a cheeky grin on his face._

_"Huh?!"_

_"But let's stop by some place fun first!"_

_"Are you kidding me?"_

_"Nope!"_

_"I was being ironic!"_

_But he laughed it off, throwing his head back. His laughter was like music to her ears, it was a lively and lovely sound. She relaxed a bit._

_"I'm Alfred by the way, Alfred F. Jones. The Heroic America!"_

_The young Asian girl blushed harder, she was sure that her face resembled a tomato._

_Tentatively, she cleared her throat. "P-Philippines, G-Gabriela Carriedo."_

_She was still in his arms as they ran off to god knows where, but she didn't seem to mind. It was warm, comforting, and safe. Letting her guard down, she leaned against his strong build and visually smiled. If possible, both their smiles were bright enough to rival the sun._

_At that moment, her life with America had just begun._


End file.
